J.K. Rowling says she was invited to participate in the reunion special earlier this year but declined.
The "Harry Potter" author was on , where she said "no one said don't come" to the reunion, she just decided she didn't want to participate.
"Yeah, I was asked to be on that and I decided I didn't want to do it," she said of the HBO Max special. "I thought it was about the films more than the books, you know, quite rightly. I mean, that was what the anniversary was about."
At the time, it was speculated that Rowling's absence was due to controversy around by some as transphobic. Cast members , , Rupert Grint and Eddie Redmayne made statements in support of the trans community.
The special acknowledged Rowling's contribution to the film franchise by incorporating material from a 2019 interview. (HBO Max, like CNN, is part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)
Rowling told Graham she still talks to the cast.
"I have. Yes, I do," she said. "I mean, some more than others, but that was always the case. You know some I knew better than others."